


Poptarts

by OneTrueEmotion



Series: Bright and Clear [2]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Grocery Shopping, Kid Fic, M/M, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 08:39:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17422580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneTrueEmotion/pseuds/OneTrueEmotion
Summary: Just like that, he's got a happy kid, a happy baby, and a happy boyfriend. This is why he loves grocery shopping.---Just some soft family feels from the 'verse started inIt Takes a Man





	Poptarts

Grocery shopping was quickly becoming one of Buck's favourite activities. He never used to have any kind of opinion on it one way or the other, it was just Something That Adults Did. But grocery shopping with his family made Buck feel happy and peaceful.

Except when Clara is screaming in his face because she is teething, and Christopher is whining because Eddie is refusing to buy him poptarts. And they're all running on very little sleep because of the teething. Which explains why there is not one single teething ring in the diaper bag.

“Eddie I can't find--”

“What did we say--” 

“I want POPTARTS!” Christopher yells, and whacks Eddie in the shin with one of his crutches. 

Everyone goes silent. Except Clara, who is still screaming and attracting side eyes from strangers. Christopher's eyes pop open in surprise because he knows he's in trouble now, and Eddie takes a deep calming breath but Buck can see the muscles in his jaw clenching. He knows Eddie would never lose his temper on Christopher, but he also knows a step back would help.

“Switch?”

Eddie looks at him with relief. “Yeah.”

Buck unbuckles Clara from the carrier strapped to his chest and passes her into Eddie's arms, then kneels down so he is eye level with Christopher, who is already turning on the waterworks. “Ah ah ah, put the tears away.” The boy sniffs and wipes at his face, pretending to put the tears in his pocket. “What do we think about hitting?”

“Hitting is bad.”

“And?”

“We never ever ever hit people we love.”

“That's right.”

“But I want poptarts and dad--”

“Hey. There is never an excuse to hit people we love,” Buck says firmly, thinking about Maddie, “is there?” Christopher shakes his head. “Now, about the poptarts. Can you remind me of the conversation we had at dinner last night.”

“No poptarts if I didn't eat my vegetables,” Christopher says with a pout.

“And did you eat your vegetables?”

“No.”

“Then I guess we don't get poptarts.” Christopher looks like he’s trying to come up with an argument, but gives up with an even bigger pout. “Now, I think you have an apology to make.” Buck realizes that Clara isn't screaming anymore, and looks up to see her happily chomping on Eddie's index finger.

“Sorry dad,” Christopher says, taking a couple steps forward so he can hug Eddie's leg.

“Apology accepted. Now, how about you choose which vegetable we have for dinner tonight?” Christopher nods and they head towards the produce section. With their backs turned Buck reaches for a box of poptarts--as long as Christopher doesn't know he still learned the lesson, right?--but Eddie's Dad Sense is too strong and he turns and gives Buck a Look, so the box stays on the shelf and he follows along with the cart.

He pulls up alongside Eddie as Christopher is perusing the vegetables trying to decide what he wants. “To be fair, I didn't want to eat the vegetables you made last night either,” he teases.

Eddie gives him an affronted look. “You love brussel sprouts.”

“Yeah, if they're sauteed or roasted or literally anything other than boiled. Boiled brussel sprouts are a crime against humanity.”

“My deepest apologies,” Eddie says sarcastically.

“Apology accepted.” Buck knocks his shoulder against Eddie's, and smiles down at Clara, still happily chewing on Eddie's digit as drool drips down his hand. “Nice trick with the finger by the way.”

Eddie shrugs, “Teething babies just want something to chew on, they don't much care what it is.”

For probably the thousandth time Buck is reminded of just how lucky he is to have Eddie raising Clara with him. He has all the experience of having gone through this once before, and Buck doesn't know where he'd be if he was doing this on his own.

He's about to tell Eddie just how grateful he is when Christopher comes back to the cart brandishing an eggplant. “This is what I want.”

“Do you even know what that is?” Eddie asks.

“No but you said I could pick.” Christopher juts his chin out and Buck is trying to hold back his laughter.

“You're right, I did. You know how to cook an eggplant?” Eddie asks Buck with a smile, and Christopher giggles at the funny name.

“No, but I'll ask Bobby. Toss it in,” he tells Christopher, who does so with a huge grin. And just like that, he's got a happy kid, a happy baby, and a happy boyfriend. This is why he loves grocery shopping. He leans in and gives Eddie a quick kiss, then hears an honest-to-god squeal behind them. 

They both turn at the sound and see two teenage girls watching them. One claps her hands over her mouth and drops down behind the apple stand and the other rolls her eyes. “Sorry, my girlfriend is a loser,” she says to them, then to the other girl, “get up, nerd, they already saw you.”

The other girl stands up, her face bright red. “Sorry, you just have such a beautiful family,” she gushes.

“Hashtag relationship goals,” says the other.

“Thanks,” Buck says with a grin, and Eddie smiles modestly. He swears the one girl actually swoons. 

“Sorry to bother you,” the first girl says, “we're gonna go now.”

“Wait--”

“Jazz, no.”

“Just let me…” the girl who had hidden behind the apple stand approaches them, much to the chagrin of her girlfriend. “I just, sorry, I should introduce myself, my name is Jasmine.” She holds out her hand and Buck shakes it; she has a firm, confident grip despite her cheeks still being pink.

“Buck,” he tells her, “and this is Eddie.” 

Jasmine crouches down eye level with Christopher, “and what's your name?”

Christopher tells her, smiling wide as she holds her hand out to shake his as well. 

“It's nice to meet you, Christopher. I love your hair.”

Buck is impressed, and he can see Eddie is too. A lot of strangers are unsure of how to talk to him, often treating him with kid gloves or ignoring him altogether. 

Jasmine stands to face Buck and Eddie again. “I don't mean to pry but, does he have cerebral palsy?”

“Yeah.” Eddie shifts a little bit, not entirely comfortable with the question coming from someone they just met.

“Sorry, it's just.. I have a cousin with cerebral palsy, and I know how difficult it can be to find a babysitter for kids with special needs so I just wanted to give you my card.” She reaches into her purse and pulls out a card that she hands to Buck. “I've taken courses in caring for children with disabilities, and I have 2 years experience babysitting my cousin, and other children as young as six months.”

“Oh. Thanks.” While their regular childcare was under control, they had been finding it difficult to find a casual sitter for evenings and weekends, and they didn't like to impose too much on family.

“Anyways, now we’ll leave you alone, sorry to bother you.” With an awkward wave she turns and goes back to her girlfriend, and then the two girls disappear around the corner.

“You know what this means?” Buck says, waving the card at Eddie as Clara tries to grab it. “Date night.” He slides the card into Eddie's back pocket, mostly for an excuse to grab his ass.

“I'm looking forward to it. Did we get everything we need?”

Buck consults the list he had in his pocket. “I think so, let's get out of here.”

“Can I help you cook the eggplant?” Christopher asks as they head towards the tills.

“Absolutely.” Cooking with Christopher was another thing that brought Buck endless joy and as they walk Buck realizes that as nice as a date night would be, it's not something he needs.

All he really needs to be happy is right here with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think of Jasmine, I might use her in future stories in this 'verse if you like her.


End file.
